Business Women Scotland BWS EDITION 47 | страница 8

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Karen Stewart is smart, savvy and stylish. She is also
the centre manager of the 292,672 sq. ft. Livingston
Designer Outlet, the biggest of its kind in Scotland.
Today she speaks with Business Woman Scotland
about her passion for retail, her journey to the top
and her hopes to inspire the next generation of
retail professionals in Scotland.
Karen has worked in the retail industry for more
than 27 years, the last eight of which as the centre
manager of Scotland’s biggest designer outlet.
Over the years, her roles have ranged from
finance to project management to store manager.
She loves to predict new trends, whether it’s a
product, a style, or a new brand. This sixth sense
is something of a must for someone overseeing
80 brands on a daily basis. The range of shops,
restaurants and entertainment available at
Livingston Designer Outlet is prestigious and
incredibly varied. Karen beams with pride
when she talks about the many retailers she
works with.
“We’ve got a fantastic range of brands
on offer, from our most recent additions
Barbour and Timberland to well-known
fashion names like Ted Baker, Kurt
Geiger and Tommy Hilfiger to lifestyle
brands Nike Factory Store, Fred Perry
and The North Face. We have also
worked hard to bring in a fantastic
selection of restaurants including
Prezzo and Pizza Express to create
the ultimate shopping destination.”
Born in Malaysia with the majority
of her childhood spent in India
and Hong Kong, Karen was
surrounded by a culture of bustling
markets and price bartering – she
believes it’s what’s sub-consciously led
her to her current Outlet role. Her dad
was a strong role model, always taught her
the value of money and working hard. Being
fortunate to have experienced such a number
of varied cultures at a young age, sometimes
where deprivation was rife, she appreciates the
power of working hard for money all the more.
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